The defining moment in Throwdown history

The NBL24 season is set to start with a bang with a Throwdown clash between Melbourne and South East Melbourne on opening night, and assistant coach David Barlow believes he can pinpoint the moment where the rivalry became genuinely real.

Barlow has been involved with Melbourne United since his return to the NBL in the 2014-15 season. Prior to that he had been playing in Europe in Poland and Spain, and had won a trio of NBL titles – two with Sydney and one with the Tigers.

He may have been sidelined for the clubs’ first ever clash in Round 1 of NBL20 – which resulted in a three-point win for the Phoenix, but he says the rivalry between the two clubs is anything but manufactured.

“I think rivalries go to the next level when teams meet in the playoffs and you’ve got that next level of intensity and passion and understanding of exactly what’s on the line,” Barlow said on The Extra Pass Podcast. “When we met South East in the semi-finals of that Covid year that really helped stoke that rivalry.

“I think the rivalry between United and South East has grown from that point, where before that I didn’t feel the things you talk about – a little bit extra desire to win those games. You always want to win every game but playoff games and things of that nature, you can’t help but have extra levels of anxiety, extra desire, extra want to win.

“I think the rivalry with South East has developed from that point of meeting in the playoffs.

“There was one game against South East last year where I felt like the crowd was pretty split 50/50 – it felt like that anyway … down the stretch we were going bucket for bucket and it’s a unique environment, where the crowd goes crazy with every shot.

“Usually, one team scored and the crowd goes crazy and the other team scores, and the crowd goes silent. This was like ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’, and I thought it was wicked.”

United has assembled a star-studded roster for the new season following their absence from the NBL23 post-season.

Matthew Dellavedova and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr have arrived back at the club to heavy – and deserved – fanfare, while NBL-proven talent Tanner Krebs and Ian Clark, and young talents Flynn Cameron and Kyle Bowen have also come in to bolster an already strong-looking squad.

Bowen is one of a large group of former collegiate players who are commencing their professional careers in NBL23, and Barlow says while he’s not surprised by the qualities he's brought to the roster, the former Saint Mary's Gael has caught the eye. 

“I’m really high on Kyle Bowen,” Barlow said. “Maybe it’s because in the latter part of my career I played the positions he’s coming in to play.

“We saw the things he can do on film and we recruited him, but to see it in person, to see the energy he has, the love and care for his teammates, the winning behaviors, [things] we as a club and definitely me personally really admire and prioritise, he nails those things almost as well as I’ve ever seen anyone do it.

“For such a young kid I love everything about it. At the same time, I hate singling guys out. Bowen’s elite but, damn, everybody’s elite.”

Melbourne’s NBL24 season opens against South East Melbourne on Thursday, September 28.